JESSIE:Two or three days after it happened, and I left. Producer: Devil's Knot. RIDGE: Alright, you went home and about what time was it that all of this was taking place? Echols, who had been tried as an adult, was sentenced to death. JESSIE: When he first called me when he first got he called me he said, how come I how come I you left, and said, I couldnt stand it, I had to do something else. Present in the interview will be Inspector Gary Gitchell and Jessie Misskelley. Also, my sister Jo Lynn told me that she saw Terry wash clothes, bed linens and curtains from Stevie's room at an odd time around the time of the Murders. "However, they're trying to kill Damien. Briefcase? Describe those pictures for me. JESSIE: Yeah, thats where he was cut at. He was preceded in death by his spouse, Kathy Bartoush; his daughter, Loretta Townsend; and his parents and other siblings. Byers initially claimed the knife had never been used. RIDGE: Alright, were going to correct that even further, thats the east side, Memphis side is the east side and you were standing at the top of the bank on the west side, were you looking down at what was going on? (Jessie just said noon, it is now beingsuggestedto him to use a new time), Above Jessie has stated they met at 9 a.m., not 12 noon. JESSIE: Yes, and I took off and run home. Jessie Misskelley is reluctant to talk, but his father us his son is working and doing fine in West Memphis. According to the statements given by Berlinger and Sinofsky, Cooper informed them of his receipt of the knife on December 19, 1993. RIDGE:Okay, what about when you get with Jason by himself? The man was bleeding and had brushed against the restroom walls. During the trial, the prosecution asserted that the juveniles killed the children as part of a Satanic ritual. GITCHELL: You didnt do anything to the bikes at all? [44], In 2007, Echols petitioned for a retrial, based on a statute permitting post-conviction testing of DNA evidence due to technological advances made since 1994 which might provide exoneration for the wrongfully convicted. MATTINGLY: On February 4th, 1994, Jessie Misskelley was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. He stated in his report for Echols's legal team that there was no evidence the murders were linked to satanic rituals and that post-mortem animal predation could explain the alleged knife injuries. Byers was the only victim with drugs in his system; he was prescribed Ritalin (methylphenidate) in January 1993 as part of treatment of an attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. He is a producer, known for Devil's Knot (2013), Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996) and West of Memphis (2012). When he first hit the boy, when Damien first hit the first boy, did they have their clothes on then? Miller dismissed a suit Hobbs filed over Maines' remarks and writings implying that he was involved in killing his stepson. JESSIE: They were sitting so far away, they were in the water, I would say about five to ten seconds, then come up and then the other one would go down. Although most of the genetic material recovered from the scene was attributable to the victims of the offenses, some of it cannot be attributed to either the victims or the defendants. Under the terms of the Alford guilty plea, Echols and his co-defendants accepted the sufficiency of evidence supporting the three counts of first degree murder while maintaining their innocence. Alright, when you get the boys back together, where you at from the creek? RIDGE: Okay, and when you left, did you hear any more hollering or anything? Naw, no psych or IQ issue here). 1993).3 The jury was also instructed on accomplice liability as follows: In this case, the state does not contend that Jessie Lloyd Misskelley, Junior acted alone in the commission of the offense of three counts of capital murder. [9], In October 2003, Vicki Hutcheson, who had played a part in the arrests of Misskelley, Echols, and Baldwin, gave an interview to the Arkansas Times in which she stated that every word she had given to the police was a fabrication. RIDGE: Is there a path that you go down? (Jessie was never taken to the woods with a video camera for this purpose.). JESSIE: Not that I know of, I wouldnt. GITCHELL: Now, did you say that the boys skipped school that day. . Despite his reported IQ of 72 (categorizing him as borderline intellectual functioning) and his status as a minor, Miskelley was questioned alone; his parents were not present during the interrogation. RIDGE:Okay, you couldnt stand it. RIDGE: Okay, did any of the other two boys, were you there when they were actually killed? Currently in the office we have Jessie Lloyd Misskelley, Jr., birthdate: 7-10 of 75, education at the 9th grade, the place, we're in the Detectives Division, today's date is 6-3 of 93, the time now is 2:44 pm. RIDGE: So, what do you think ought to be done to them for killing these boys? RIDGE: He didnt tell you that he hid it somewhere? RIDGE:When you left from there, did you leave running? Douglas served as FBI Unit Chief of the Investigative Support Unit of the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime for 25 years. Police initially suspected the boys had been raped;[10] however, later expert testimony disputed this finding. JESSIE:He was holding him down like, and Jason had his legs up in the air and that little boy was kicking, saying, dont, no like that. RIDGE:Does that involve eating part of the penis of the animal? [9][pageneeded], A more thorough police search for the children began around 8:00am on May 6, led by the Crittenden County Search and Rescue personnel. The polygraph examiner claimed that Echols' chart indicated deception. The Alford plea is a legal mechanism that allows defendants to plead guilty while still asserting their actual innocence, in cases where defendants concede that prosecutors have sufficient evidence to secure a conviction. RIDGE: Okay, they killed the boys, you decided to go, you went home, how long after you got home before you received the phone call? Judge Laser then sentenced them to time served, a total of 18 years and 78 days, and they were each given a suspended imposition of sentence for 10 years. JESSIE: And after I left they done more. You mentioned earlier that, one of the meetings you went to with this cult thing, they had some pictures. RIDGE:They are sick okay. RIDGE:Well, which one did he have? However, there was no forensic evidence indicating that the murdered boys had been raped. JESSIE: No, they just hollered at them, they showed up. [9] During Echols' trial, Dr. George W. Woods testified (for the defense) that Echols suffered from: serious mental illness characterized by grandiose and persecutory delusions, auditory and visual hallucinations, disordered thought processes, substantial lack of insight, and chronic, incapacitating mood swings. His mother was awarded custody and later married Terry Hobbs. RIDGE: Alright, where did he cut him at? Baldwin and Misskelley were sentenced to life in prison. [79], West of Memphis, directed and written by Amy J. Berg, and produced by Peter Jackson, as well as by Echols himself, premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. director of photography Film Editing by Susan Shipton Casting By Production Design by Phillip Barker Art Direction by Thomas Minton Set Decoration by Melinda Sanders Costume Design by Kari Perkins Piers Morgan Tonight aired an episode on September 29, 2011, about the three's plans for the future and continued investigations on the case. To assist in the appeals process, Echols' appellate legal team retained a Berkeley, California-based forensic psychiatrist, Dr. George Woods, to make their case. Damien first came into my life in 1996, when my friend and I watched a documentary called Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills. This is consistent with the language ofArk. RIDGE: Okay, the knives, was it one knife, two knives, was your knife there? "[9] Leveritt speculated that the small local police force was overwhelmed by the crime, which was unlike any they had ever investigated. JESSIE: Um-mm, they were going to catch, they were going somewhere and like I said, Damien and nem left before I did, I told them that I would meet them there and stuff, and I had to get ready it was early in the morning and so, they went ahead and met me, they went on up there and then I come up later on behind them. And what did they tell you on the telephone? JESSIE: They were going to catch their bus and stuff, and they was on their bikes and so, (If the children were catching the bus, why would they be riding their bikes? RIDGE:And one of them was being cut on his penis? GITCHELL: What do you all do with the girls when youre out there? [63] In 2011, supporters pushed Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe to pardon Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley based on their innocence. In 1994, a memorial was erected for the three murder victims. (Echols and Lorri Davis . Stidham made similar comments during a radio show interview in May 2010. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. RIDGE:Was anything on his shirt? [49], In 2007, DNA collected from the crime scene was tested. (They have to make sure again that Jessie knows what a penis is? JESSIE: That one, he runs out, going out the out the park and I chased him and grabbed him and brought him back. Jessie Misskelley was born on July 10, 1975 as Jessie Loyd Misskelly Jr. . RIDGE:okay, which one did you see killed? RIDGE:How was he actually killed? RIDGE:Okay, how long was the knife that Jason was using? John Mark Byers, the adoptive father of victim Christopher Byers, gave a knife to cameraman Doug Cooper, who was working with documentary makers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky while filming the first Paradise Lost feature. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. JESSIE: When I was there, I saw Damien hit this one (pause) hit this one boy real bad, and then uh, and then he started screwing them and stuff and then uh, (There is no evidence from the Medical Examiner whatsoever that any of the boys were raped; it was inconclusive. Many people, including some famous celebrities and musicians, believe that the West Memphis . A subsequent search of the ditch revealed the bodies of three boys. 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM - Roofing with Ricky Deese and Josh Darby. RIDGE:Doesnt get into the club? Officials failed to drain the creek in a timely manner and secure possible evidence in the water (the creek was sandbagged after the bodies were pulled from the water). I had been shocked that the police did not find it with Stevie when they found his body. JESSIE: Behind it, right back there behind it. He was last seen wearing blue jeans and a white T-shirt, and riding a black and red bicycle. The three boys were found brutally murdered in a shocking fashion in a wooded area called the Robin Hood Hills. [91], Echols' lawyers claimed that his condition worsened during the trial, when he developed a "psychotic euphoria that caused him to believe he would evolve into a superior entity" and eventually be transported to a different world. [71] Douglas believed that the perpetrator had a violent history and was familiar with the victims and with local geography. JESSIE: I was there until they tied them up and then thats when I left, after they tied them up, I left. [50] The prosecutors, while conceding that no DNA evidence tied the accused to the crime scene, said: "The State stands behind its convictions of Echols and his codefendants. RIDGE:So, they are scared, is that right, JESSIE: They are scared cause after what they did, I told him that I was going to work with my daddy next time, I got to do something. A hair identified as belonging to a black male was later recovered from a sheet wrapped around one of the victims. JESSIE: Close to right where there before you come in and they laid them down right there, and after I left I dont know what they done with the bikes. "[90], The appellate legal team argued that Echols did not waive his assertion that he was not mentally competent before his 1994 trial because he was not competent to waive it. RIDGE:You are not, so weve treated you well? RIDGE: Okay, so they had them under control, you were there the whole time that was taking place? Misskelley's confession eventually served as the basis for all three arrests. (The knife that was eventually introduced into evidence as the possible murder weapon did not match this descriptionit was a hunting-type knife). [9], At his death penalty sentencing hearing, Echols' psychologist reported that months before the murders, Echols had claimed that he obtained super powers by drinking human blood. None was found to match DNA from Echols, Baldwin, or Misskelley. Or had he just been watching them. Second, Dennis Dent stated he was having a phone conversation with Angela (Jasons mother) between 9:00 and 9:30 pm, during her break at work. [9], Echols' family was poor, received frequent visits from social workers and he rarely attended school. Dating & Relationship status He is currently single. RIDGE: Alright, they were on their bikes, where were the bikes at? In an interview with Piers Morgan, he said that he would like to have a career in writing and visual arts.[95]. RIDGE: Had Damien seen these boys before? Only logical answer is that Jessie had no idea where the bikes were put down), JESSIE: When they hollered, when they seen them boys. RIDGE: What time is it right now? ALSO, the Commercial Appeal, local newspaper, picked up chatter about the murders on their police scanner, hearing about the castration, and printed it in the next days paper. (Uh, no he didnt. According to our Database, He has no children. Dr. Peretti, the Medical Examiner, described half-lunar wounds that were caused by a blunt object which could have been the result of kicks or blows with something such as a flashlight, not fists. This ruling was in turn thrown out by the Arkansas Supreme Court as to all three defendants on November 4, 2010.[46]. (Jessie indicates here he leaves directly after Damien and Jason reach Michael, yet he is then led on to continue his story). After the West Memphis 3 were convicted, Susie Brewer Boggan went on with her life. [25], Though he was informed of his Miranda rights, Misskelley later claimed he did not fully understand them. They were known for wearing black and listening to heavy metal. He was last seen wearing blue jeans, dark shoes, and a white long-sleeved shirt. GITCHELL: How many pictures did you see, altogether? Despite a shoulder-to-shoulder search of Robin Hood Hills by a human chain, searchers found no sign of the missing boys. The counsel representing the men said they would continue to pursue full exoneration. 19. In 2000, The album Free the West Memphis 3 was released by KOCH Records. [3] Echols, ADC# 000931, entered the system on March 19, 1994. . I could not believe it was in Terry's things. RIDGE:Steven Branch and Christopher Byers. RIDGE:But have you heard anybody say that they saw Damien and Jason? [74] A biography of John Mark Byers by Greg Day named Untying the Knot: John Mark Byers and the West Memphis Three was published in May 2012. GITCHELL: Did they call them by name? "This was not justice," he said of the deal. [6] The judge sentenced them to 18 years and 78 days, the amount of time they had served, and levied a suspended sentence of 10 years. He is not dating anyone. JESSIE: I was just wearing a regular one of my old greasy up t-shirt. The audio file ishere(right click and Save As or Right click and Open in New Tab to play). Hutcheson was unable to recall the Wiccan meeting location and did not name any other participants in the purported meeting. RIDGE:Did anybody see Damien and Jason? [31] Police had initially suspected that the victims had been raped because their anuses were dilated. [70], John E. Douglas, a former longtime FBI agent and current criminal profiler, said that the murders were more indicative of a single murderer intent on degrading and punishing the victims, than of a trio of "unsophisticated" teenagers. RIDGE:when you kill a dog, what do you do with that? He is a member of famous Producer with the age 47 years old group. RIDGE: Okay, so they were just messing around in the water. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 10 July. "You shouldn't be mad about it, you could do it too," said Boggan. GITCHELL: Does just everybody takes a turn. JESSIE: Yeah, they seen them boys and then they hollered, Damien hollered said, hey, the little boys come up there. [60], Under the deal, Judge David Laser vacated the previous convictions, including the capital murder convictions for Echols and Baldwin, and ordered a new trial. RIDGE: Alright, is that where he was cutting? He is a producer, known for Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory (2011), Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996) and Paradise Lost 2: Revelations (2000). [86] Until August 2011, he was incarcerated in the Arkansas Department of Correction (ADC) Varner Unit Supermax. GITCHELL: You didnt touch the bikes? .no . [36] The court sentenced Echols to death and Baldwin to life in prison.[3]. If he had been, there would have been clear forensic evidence of it. RIDGE:Are you scared of the police now? [9], Shortly after Misskelley's first confession, police arrested Echols and his close friend Baldwin. At 47 years old, Jessie Misskelley height For the former Australian rules footballer, see, DNA testing and new physical evidence (2007). When told the blood matched both his and Chris' blood type, Byers said he had no idea how that blood might have gotten on the knife. Video 4: An animated map of the 1993 West Memphis Murders showing the conflicts & corroborations in Jessie Misskelley's first confession on 3rd June 1993.Ind. Misskelley ignored this advice and went on to detail how the boys were abused and murdered. JESSIE: Yes, he run out there and I caught him and brought him back, and then I took off, (This is the first of seven times that Jessie says he left and hes told and you came back.You dont need a PhD to see that this confession is utter crap. [49] She said that when she visited the police station, employees had photographs of Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley on the wall and were using them as dart targets. 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